Episode:26'
"Sincerely Yours" is episode 26' of Neon Genesis Evangelion. It aired as a corresponding "replacement" episode for Episode 26, along with Episode 25' , the two of which combined make up The End of Evangelion. Overview Gendo starts Third Impact with Rei, who rejects him and merges with Lilith. The Mass Production Evangelions crucify Unit-01 with their Spear of Longinus replicas, and centering around the composite being composed of Rei, Lilith and Adam being create an Anti A.T. Field which spreads over the entire world, reducing everyone to the primordial ooze of LCL in response to Sinji's stress-induced rejection of human nature. All human souls colease into one being within the giant figure of Rei, the barriers between souls completely erased. In a surreal sequence (in which Shinji sees himself in different scenarios interacting with the people he has come to know and care about during his time as an Eva pilot), Shinji discusses with Rei and Kaworu about his life's meaning and what he truly wants, and after talking with the soul of his mother in Unit-01, decides to reject Instrumentality, accepting individual existence and the possibility of pain over the painless loss of identity and coresponding loss of meaning. Shinji is told, or realises, that all beings will have the choice to return to individual existence if they find they desire it. The mass production Eva darken, and the Rei-entity disintergrates and falls over the surface of the earth. In the end, Shinji wakes up on the beach of the Sea of LCL which has formed over Earth with the disintergration of all living things. He finds that Asuka is lying next to him, inexplicably alive, her injuries sustained during her battle with the Mass-Production Evangelions covered in bandages. Shinji, still emotionally fragile from the trauma of Instrumentality and its rejection, chokes the seemingly catatonic Asuka, but stops himself when she reaches up her arm to touch his cheek. He breaks down, sobbing uncontrollably as he hunches over her. Asuka looks at the sky for several moments before expressing disgust. Synopsis NERV defenses continue to collapse under the force of an attack by the Japanese Strategic Self Defense Force. Misato and Asuka are dead, and Evangelion Unit-02 has been decimated. The Final Ritual Begins As Ritsuko's lifeless body floats in a pool of LCL, Gendo and a naked Rei stand beneath a crucified Lillith. Gendo says that through a forbidden reunion of Adam and Lilith, he can be reunited with his wife Yui. Rei's arm falls away from the rest of her body, exposing her bones and tendons. This indicates that Rei's A.T. Field is weakening, prompting Gendo to state that their time is running out. Gendo asks Rei to lower her A.T. field. This will allow him to merge the embryo of Adam embedded in his hand with Rei, the vessel for Lilith's soul. She flinches as Gendo inserts his hand into her breast. Shinji, still piloting Unit-01, hovers in the dark and swirling skies above the GeoFront. He screams in horror and anger after seeing the mangled remains of Unit-02 beneath him. In response, the Evangelion's wings of light transform into a giant crucifix. Below, within Terminal Dogma, Rei senses Shinji's pain. The true Lance of Longinus, which has been stuck on the surface of the moon since its use in defeating Arael, is flung back towards the Earth. The Lance's stops its flight just in front of Unit-01's throat. The assembled monoliths of SEELE celebrate the return of the Lance. Believing that this development will allow their vision of the Human Instrumentality Project to be fulfilled, they perform an enabling rite. SEELE beseeches the Evangelions to return to their true form so that humanity can return to its true form. The winged Mass Production Evangelions use their spears to crucify Unit-01 and recreate the stigmata of Christ. The automated Evangelions bite into Unit-01's crucifix of light, lifting Shinji higher into the sky before eventually releasing him. Shinji looks down at his hands, and sees the same stigmata imposed on the hands of his Evangelion. The Mass Production Evangelions then arrange themselves in a pattern around Unit-01. They begin to overload their S² engines, forming an image of the Sephirothic Tree of Life. Monitoring the situation at NERV Headquarters, Fuyutsuki posits that the automated Evangelions are creating Anti-A.T. Fields. Maya says that the sensor readings are identical to the data from Second Impact. The S² engines of the Mass Production Evangelions finally overload, causing an enormous, eye-shaped explosion that engulfs portions of Japan. The blast destroys the remaining JSSDF forces, and whittles away the layers surrounding GeoFront. For the first time in millennia, the Black Moon of Lilith, the birthplace of humanity, is exposed. Back in Terminal Dogma, Rei absorbs Adam's embryo within her body, and Gendo's hand with it. As Gendo recoils in pain, Rei rejects him, declaring that she is not his "doll." She restores her A.T. Field and regenerates her arm. Rei levitates towards Lilith, as Gendo begs her to change her mind. She refuses, telling Gendo that Shinji is calling to her. Hovering before Lilith, Rei declares that she is home. Lilith replies, "Welcome back." Rei is absorbed into Lilith's body, which begins to regenerate. Lilith releases herself from her crucifixion. Her mask falls away, and her gigantic, naked body takes on Rei's form. NERV sensors render Lilith/Rei as both an Angel and a human being. The giant Lilith/Rei passes through the NERV command center and the bodies of the remaining senior staff. Lilith/Rei continues to rise until it stands erect above the clouds. Shinji, holding Misato's bloody cross, yells with confused fear after Lilith/Rei looks into his eyes. The Mass Production Evangelions form a new formation around Lilith/Rei, and they begin to merge with the giant being. Each automated Evangelion takes on Rei's visage. The sight causes Unit-01 and its pilot roar in unison. Shinji's ego reaches its breaking point, and the core of his Evangelion is exposed. Lilith/Rei takes the form of Kaworu, calming Shinji. The Lance of Longinus pierces Unit-01's core. The combination of the Fruit of Life of the Angels and the Fruit of Knowledge of humanity transforms the purple Evangelion into the Tree of Life. Observing from below, Fuyutsuki realizes that the future of mankind now rests in Shinji's hands. With a look of ecstasy on his face, Shinji hears his mother, Yui, and Rei both ask him what he wishes for. As he has a vision of a woman's clutched breasts, Shinji enters Instrumentality. Shinji's Choice Taking the form of a child, Shinji finds himself on a playground. The playground has the trappings of a movie set, with stage lights and scaffolding surrounding it. As a swing set sways in the distance, two doll-like girls who resemble Rei and Asuka ask Shinji to help them finish building a castle in a sandbox. The "castle" looks like a partially destroyed GeoFront pyramid. The doll-like girls depart with their "mother," who resembles Misato. Alone once again, a sobbing Shinji finishes constructing the pyramid, then destroys it in anger. After a moment of hesitation, he begins to rebuild the pyramid once again. Shinji jumps to a scene from the past: Misato and Kaji in college, staying indoors for a full week to have sex repeatedly. Shinji's face assumes a look of disgust as the voice of Misato tells him this is a part of her that he never knew before, and can only know now that their hearts are "melded." Time jumps again, and Shinji revisits the memory of kissing Asuka. She accuses him of not caring or knowing anything about her. Shinji retorts that she never let him in or talked to him at all. Asuka tells him that she knows about him masturbating over her naked body, and goads him to do it again, implying it was in fact a habit of his. Finding themselves on board the "dream train" with Rei watching, Asuka tells Shinji that if he cannot belong to her completely, she does not want him. Shinji wonders why no one is able to be nice to him. A combined vision of Rei, Misato, and Asuka insist that they are nice to him. Shinji accuses all three of lying, and keeping the parameters of their respective relationships vague. Shinji returns to a vision of Misato's apartment. He tells a sullen Asuka that he wants to be with her forever, and that she is the only one for him. Asuka responds that Shinji doesn't actually care about anyone, he just wants someone—anyone—to pay attention to him. She angrily pushes him, which knocks over Misato's coffeemaker, and burns Shinji with the scalding, spilled coffee. Shinji gets up, then angrily throws around the table and chairs in the room while begging Asuka to help him. She stares down at him and refuses. Shinji hesitates for a moment then begins to strangle Asuka, lifting her off her feet. Human Instrumentality begins. Instrumentality Realized and Rejected Visions of Shinji strangling Asuka are interspersed with images of Naoko strangling Rei as a child, and Unit-01 roaring in anger. Stung by Asuka's final rejection, a resigned Shinji states that the world would be better off if he and all other humans died. Unit-01/The Tree of Life begin to rise into the sky together with the Black Moon. Lilith/Rei takes the Black Moon into her hands and giant wings sprout from her back. Lilith/Rei generates an Anti-A.T. Field strong enough to prevent all life from mainting their physical shapes. Fuyutsuki tells the remaining NERV senior staff that the Chamber of Guf, the well of human souls, is now open. Stigmata appear on Lilith/Rei's hands. Visions of Rei appear over the lifeless bodies of NERV personnel and JSSDF soldiers within the Black Moon. The Anti-A.T. Field generated by Lilith/Rei causes the dead lose their physical shape and dissolve into LCL. Rei is appears above the dissolved bodies of both Ritsuko and Misato. Rei appears before each of the remaining NERV senior staff members, transforming into a vision of another person who embraces them before dissolving into LCL. For Hyuga, Rei turns into an image of Misato; for Maya, Ritsuko; for Fuyutsuki, Yui. Aoba sees no other person, but is surrounded by several apparitions of Rei before his dissolution. The monoliths of SEELE disappear as their corresponding member dissolves into LCL. Keel Lorenz is the last to dissolve, with his cybernetic implants remaining amidst a pool of LCL. Gendo is lying on the ground in Terminal Dogma. He finally sees Yui once again. Gendo confesses that his own self-loating caused him to push Shinji away, so that he would avoid hurting the boy. Visions of both Rei and Kaworu join Yui, pointing out that Gendo was so afraid of rejection by other people, that he shut out the world around him. Gendo finds himself in the hands of Unit-01. He comes to understand that he is about to face punishment for his actions in life, and apologizes to Shinji in abstentia. The Evangelion then bites off Gendo's torso, killing him. Gendo's bloody legs are left standing in the background as a bandaged Rei II picks up his fallen glasses. She is joined by Rei I, the child killed by Naoko, and a naked Rei III. Above the Earth, the Mass Production Evangelions groan and writhe in euphora as they impale their own cores with their replica Lances of Longinus. All of the human souls on the planet float towards the Black Moon, reentering the Chamber of Guf. Each soul leaves behind a crucifix of light in its wake. As Instrumentality continues, Unit-01/The Tree of Life is absorbed by a third eye that appears on Lilith/Rei's forehead. A torrent of images assaults Shinji as he hears many voices making statements rejecting him. Several visions of unanimated "real life" appear: an empty movie theater, a movie theater filled with people, a train, power lines, a swing, a mass of people walking down a busy street, and the skyline of Tokyo-3 before its destruction. Three women appear standing still in a moving crowd, followed by an image of three people dressed up as Rei, Asuka, and Misato walking through a marketplace. Shinji asks Rei what the difference is between dreams and reality. Rei tells him that he conjured up a convenient fantasy to escape reality. As Rei tells Shinji that reality begins where dreams end, a gash opens on Lilith/Rei's neck, releasing a fountain of blood. The blood reaches the moon, as the gigantic Lilith/Rei begins to fall back towards the Earth. Shinji sees a vision of Rei merged with his own body, and asks her where they are. Rei tells him that he is in a sea of LCL, and his soul is merged with the souls of the rest of humanity to form a single being. Shinji looks at his hand and sees that he is still holding Misato's crucifix necklace. He expresses dissatisfaction with the reality of Instrumentality. Rei warns him that if he rejects this transformation then A.T. Fields, which are formed by an individual's fear of others, will return. Now finding himself laying in Rei's lap, Shinji admits knowing that his hopes of connecting with other people will eventually ring false, and at some point he will be betrayed or abandoned. However, Shinji accepts that the opportunity to experience the genuine joy he felt from forming connections with others is worth the real risk of being hurt again. He know understands that his feelings, be they happiness or sadness, were at least real to him. Instrumentality begins to reverse itself. The gigantic body of Lilith/Rei begins to fall apart as her Anti-A.T. Field disappears. Her wings dissolve. Her limbs and head separate and fall away. The stigmata on her hands close. A howling Unit-01 bursts out of her eye and grows several wings of light. The reformation of A.T. Fields causes the Chamber of Guf reopen. The Black Moon begins to dissolve before bursting completely. The human souls contained within it begin to return to the Earth. Unit-01 pulls the Lance of Longinus from its core, and the Lance changes form to the symbol of the infinite. The replica lances impaling each Mass Production Evangelion burst, causing each of the automated Evangelions to wither away and fall towards the planet's surface. The voices of Kaworu, Rei, and Yui reassure Shinji that every human soul can reclaim its physical form if it so chooses. As an image of Rei watches, Unit-01 deactivates and is petrified. Yui tells Shinji that, "As long as there is the sun, the moon, and the Earth, it will all work out." As the reversal of Instrumentality is nearly fulfilled, Shinji speaks to his mother for the first and last time. Yui asks Shinji if he will be okay. He replies that he knows he will be trapped in a cycle of misunderstanding the nature of happiness. However, Shinji now understands that enduring this cycle will allow him to remain alive as an individual. Shinji asks Yui whether she will be okay. In the past, when Shinji was a child, Yui tells Fuyutsuki that her goal is to have her soul transferred to an Evangelion. That way, she can persist forever as proof of humanity's existence, even after humans are extinct and the solar system is no more. Shinji wishes his his mother farwell. A petrified Unit-01 countaining the soul of Yui floats way from the Earth into the endless void of deep space, accompanied by the transformed Lance of Longinus. His body physically reconstituted, Shinji emerges from the seemingly endless sea of LCL. He watches as the gigantic head of Lilith/Rei splits into two before him. One More Final As the souls form a single, complemented existence, Lilith/Rei gives control of the process to Shinji. At first, Shinji's emotional sufferings and loneliness prompt him to accept this new form, believing that there could never be happiness in the real world. He later recognizes, after a series of mental journeys and monologues, that it is necessary to live with others, and that to live life is to experience joy as well as pain. This constitutes a rejection of the goal of Instrumentality/Third Impact and Lilith/Rei decays and dies, releasing the Anti-AT Field and allowing separate beings to potentially come back into existence. In the final scene , Asuka and Shinji are shown to have rematerialized from the sea of LCL together on a beach looking out on the severed head of Lilith/Rei and the apocalyptic landscape. He begins to choke her, however he stops when Asuka gently caresses his face. Quotes *'Fuyutsuki': "The Seed of Life...and the Seed of Wisdom have been both acquired by Eva Unit 01. It is now equal to God. Will it be an ark to save humanity from the nihil of the Third Impact...or become a demon to annihilate humanity? Our future is up to Ikari's son." *'Asuka': "How disgusting" (alt. "I feel sick"). See also *Episode 26 Category:Episodes